Coadjutant Duels
by Firefly567
Summary: A diffident soldier, an eccentric mercenary, a voracious mage and the bonds that tie their fates together. A series of events centered around an unlikely trio's friendship.
1. The First Duel

Chapter 1: The First Duel

Darkness greeted Mia's eyes as she pulled back the flap of her tent, the earliest hints of the sunrise barely shining in the distance. A yawn escaped her lips before she took a moment to stretch, giving her eyes some time to adjust to the dark. She had quickly learned that she was the earliest riser of the group, and the soldiers they saved from the prison yesterday didn't seem to change that fact.

She began to walk through the camp, the cool breeze of the early morning sending a chill down her spine. As she passed by the tents, she mentally listed off those she knew: Rhys, Soren, Titania, Oscar, Boyd, Rolf, Mist and finally, the boss himself. She stopped for a moment outside his tent, reflecting on the short time she had been with them.

The Greil Mercenaries had lost their leader, but worse than that, the new boss had lost his father. The boss had done a commendable job since then, especially for someone so young. Even when their situation seemed hopeless, he managed to pull all of them through it. She knew he would make an excellent leader one day, but more importantly to her, he would make for a remarkable swordsmen.

She looked forward to the duels she knew they would share.

After a few more moments, she moved on, passing by the tent of the wandering merchant group. It was amazing how the boss had managed to recruit all these people, especially after everything that had happened. The twins seem pretty handy around the forge, and Mia was going to need a new blade soon. She had enough coin for one of their custom swords, and she fully intended to see just how good they really were._  
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She finally reached the edge of camp, taking a moment to look at the small army behind her. They would be marching today, and it wouldn't be long until everyone was up and packing. She needed to get her training in before they started, or she probably wouldn't have a chance until the end of the day.

As she was about to turn around, one of the nearby tents opened. A female soldier emerged, cringing slightly as her long emerald hair swayed in the wind. The young woman fastened a blue helmet to her head before retrieving a lance from the nearby weapon rack. She twirled it around several times in what Mia guessed was an attempt to test its weight.

_So she's a lance user, huh... I knew I was feeling lucky today._

Almost as if she could hear Mia's thoughts, the girl turned towards her direction. The soldier's eyes widened when she noticed Mia, and she quickly turned away, but not before Mia noticed her cheeks flushing with color.

With a small grin, Mia began approaching her. "Heya! I didn't expect anyone else to be up so early!" she shouted, forgetting that there was an army around her trying to sleep.

"H-howdy," the girl stammered, apparently still trying to avoid eye contact with her.

"The name's Mia, what's yours?"**  
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"N-N-Nephenee," the girl finally managed, her face a dark shade of red.

"You look like you're pretty handy with that lance. Hey, I've got a great idea! We should have a duel!"

"A d-duel?" she stuttered, her eyes going wide.

"Yeah!" Mia shouted, her excitement raising her voice louder than it probably should have been.

"I-I don't know..." she trailed off, staring at the ground.

"Well, I've got some wooden weapons we can use if it makes you feel better. Come on, it'll be fun!" she beamed at her, grabbing her hand and dragging her towards the edge of camp.

"W-what have I got m'self into..." Nephenee whispered under her breath.

-o-

The once silent morning was now filled with the hollow clanks of wooden weapons colliding. The sweat on Nephenee's palms had been causing her weapon to slip, which had already resulted in two missed blocks.

Not that she had been doing that great to begin with.

This girl, Mia, was like a graceful whirlwind with a blade. It took all of Nephenee's energy just to keep up with her relentless barrage. She had already accumulated a good number of welts where Mia had already manged to land hits.

Her body ached with every movement she made and her exhausted muscles begged for relief. Her throat was dry and sore, only making her coarse, ragged breathing even more painful. She was parched, exhausted and she didn't even want to think about how sore she'd be after this was all over.

But something kept pushing her onwards**.**

Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead as she continued breathing heavily. The two slowly began circling each other, allowing Nephenee a precious moment to catch her breath.

Mia was a fierce fighter, but at the same time there was something... different about her. Something Nephenee couldn't quite put her finger on. She hadn't been sure about this duel at first, but after it had started, it was almost as if she had been absorbed into it. It had been an adrenaline rush unlike any she had felt in the militia, and much to her surprise, it was actually kind of fun.

"Engardé!" Mia suddenly shouted, rushing forward and unleashing a sweeping horizontal strike.

Nephenee's body seemed to move on its own as she whirled her lance around, the back end of her weapon barely catching Mia's strike. She pivoted her foot and pushed forward in an attempt to parry, but it only gave Mia an opening.

Mia quickly back stepped and thrust forward with incredible speed, jabbing her sword into Nephenee's side. She grit her teeth and twirled her lance to try and counterattack, but Mia had already sidestepped and was out of reach. By the time Nephenee had pivoted back around, Mia was already in mid-swing, and her sword collided with Nephenee's arm, causing her to grunt in pain.

She quickly retaliated with a thrust of her own, but Mia managed to roll to the side and dodge it. Before she could even move, Mia was already jumping forward with her counterattack. Nephenee twirled her lance around and parried the first jab, which was quickly followed by a downward slash that she barely managed to block with a quick turn of her heel.

Her body was so tired that every movement felt sluggish. Still, she was managing to block Mia's attacks more frequently now. She wasn't sure if that meant she was improving or if Mia was just as tired as she was. Mia thrust forward with a large step, and Nephenee managed to sidestep just in time. She quickly pivoted on her foot and slammed her weapon down, landing a blow on Mia's back.

Her eyes went wide and she couldn't help but smile. She had finally managed to land a hit.

Mia stepped forward and turned around, relaxing her stance and sporting a huge smile of her own. Nephenee wasn't expecting what happened next; Mia started laughing.

She felt a sudden rush of embarrassment as her cheeks quickly turned hot. She shyly brought her arm across her waist and massaged a particular welt on her arm, her breathing slowly returning to normal. After what felt like an eternity, she felt someone place a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Mia beaming at her.

"I guess I misjudged you. You're new to fighting, aren't you?" Mia finally asked.

Nephenee could still feel herself blushing fiercely. "L-like ah said, I'm not that good. O-our trainin' in the m-militia wasn't great," she muttered, sighing heavily.

"Well then, I'm just going to have to train you," Mia said with a smirk.

"T-train me?" she stammered.

"Sure!" she shouted. "You _are_ going to fight alongside us, right?" Mia asked, eying Nephenee expectantly.

"W-well... if C-Commander I-Ike thinks ah can manage..."

"If that's the case, wouldn't it be better if you had someone to spar with? I can watch your back until you get some more experience, plus it'd be good for me, too, since I seem to have trouble with lance users."

"I...I..." Nephenee stammered, her voice barely a whisper, "guess that'd be alright..." she trailed off, lowering her head.

_She still hasn't said anythin' 'bout ma accent. It's probably cause she hasn't noticed yet.  
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Mia grinned. "Alright, it's settled then! Who knows, you may even end up being my archrival!" she yelled cheerfully, removing her hand from Nephenee's shoulder.

Her eyes went wide with shock. "A-archrival? B-but..." she started, but Mia was already making her way back to camp.

_The only reason I was up so early was cause ah was tryin' to get used to the weight of mah lance. How is someone like that supposed to be an archrival?  
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"Come on, Nephenee!" Mia called out, drawing her from thoughts.

Nephenee could feel the warmth in her cheeks growing. She lowered her helmet and fixated her gaze on the ground, desperately trying to hide her embarrassment._  
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_I could certainly use that trainin', and ah reckon she seems nice enough, but... I don't want her to end up shunnin' me cause a mah background.  
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"Come on!" Mia urged again.

Nephenee sighed quietly before making her way over to Mia. She continued to stare at the ground the entire time, continuing to avoid Mia's gaze as they walked back to her tent.

-o-

_**A/N:** Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read this, I hope you enjoyed it, and any feedback or constructive criticism you have to offer would be more than appreciated. This little project is a break from the norm for me, as I usually write stories that revolve mainly around OCs, and I rarely deal exclusively with already established characters. It's also a bit shorter than what I usually write. This is more an experiment than anything else, both as a break from what I usually write, and in an attempt for me to try and hone my ability to write characters in character. I was partly inspired by a fellow writer I greatly admire, Bartholomew Kamiro, and his story 'Grains of Sand.' If you haven't checked it out already, do yourself a favor and do so._

**_Update: _**_It's been nearly a year, and working on this story again is tons of fun. There weren't a lot of changes made to this chapter, mainly small ascetic changes and little character/world building moments have been thrown in. I'm working on perfecting Nephenee's accent, and I decided to give a few more lines near the end to flesh out her side of the chapter a bit. _

_A lot of why this story has been so much fun to work on again is because of my awesome beta, barefootbean. This story wouldn't be half as good as it is if it wasn't for her.__  
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	2. Seasick

Chapter 2: Seasick

Nephenee's arms lay over the side of the railing, her breathing slow and labored. The sea had been a brilliant sight, one she had only dreamed of as a child, but apparently her farm legs didn't make for good sea ones. Ever since they got on Nasir's boat, she'd felt sick and queasy, but she hadn't been the only one. The great mystery to her, however, was how Brom, who had spent about as much time outside of Ohma as she had, was managing so well.

She brought her hand up to her face and slowly massaged her temple. She heard someone walking up next to her, and turned to see Mia, who leaned on the railing a few feet away.

Mia gave her a concerned frown. "You alright?"

"It's mah first time... on a ship..." she managed, a small groan escaping her lips.

"Well, the boss said the trip is going to take a little while. We'll hold off on the training until we get back to dry land," she said with a smile, turning to face the sea.

Nephenee looked out at the horizon as she tried to get herself together. It took several minutes before she was able to do so.

"I-I wanted tah say thanks... for yer help in the b-battle yesterday..." she trailed off.

Mia gave her a grin. "There's no need to thank me. I didn't even do anything, really."

"T-that ain't true. If nothin' else, ya helped me relax a bit."

"Well then, I'm glad I could help," she chuckled, turning around so that her back was now facing the waves.

After another long moment, she felt someone bump into her. She turned to see a frail, sickly looking girl stumbling about.

"Oh... pardon me, I just... I just got a bit lightheaded," the girl murmured quietly.

"I-it's fine-"

"Woah, you look worse than usual! You alright?" Mia asked, cutting her off.

"I'll... I'll be alright, I'm just... a bit seasick..." the girl replied, stumbling into the railing next to Nephenee. The girl looked as pale as a ghost, and it looked like she was in danger of falling over at any moment. Nephenee recognized her from the battle yesterday, a thunder mage who was associated with the traveling merchants. She had noticed because Mia had been close to both of them the entire battle; she guessed it was because she was keeping an eye on them.

_What's her name again? There's so many, and it's been such a short time..._

"You two haven't met, I take it?" Mia asked, almost as if she could read her thoughts.

"I've... seen her around... we saved her... from the prison, right?" the girl weakly managed.

"Yep, that's her!" Mia beamed. _"Go on and introduce yourself, she won't bite_," Mia whispered in her ear, placing a hand on her shoulder.

_But what if she don't like me? I'm just a country gal, after all..._

Mia softly nudged her a moment later, making her gulp loudly before speaking up.

"H-howdy... name's Nephenee..." she muttered, her voice barely a whisper.

"I'm Ilyana," the girl replied with a small smile. An awkward silence followed, and after a few moments Nephenee glanced over at Mia, who motioned her head in the direction of Ilyana.

_Does... does she want me to talk to her? Shoot, I don't know what to say..._

Mia nudged her once more and made a more exaggerated motion with her head.

"So... um... I uh... n-noticed you usin' that l-lghtnin' magic... and uh... I was p-pretty impressed..." she finally muttered.

"Oh... do you think so? I'm glad... when people notice..." Ilyana whispered with a small smile.

Mia leaned in next to her and cupped her hand next to her ear. "I was waiting for a moment like this to introduce you two. She's quiet and shy like you, so most people don't notice her, but I did the other day when she bumped into me before the battle. She looks a bit worse right now, but she was doing that all yesterday before the battle... heck, even during the battle she was like that. She looked like she might faint at any moment, and she was always stumbling around; I was trying to keep an eye on her, too. I was worried about her, and since she's a mage I can't train her like you, so I figured since we're sticking together anyway, it'd be better if we both keep an eye on her, ya know?"

_So she _**_was_** _watchin' over her. Ilyana always looks like this? Shoot, how can I just ignore someone like that?_

"O-okay..." she murmured. Mia gave her a large grin in reply, patting her on the shoulder.

"Oh, I almost forgot to tell you guys! When we were in Toha I had my fortune read before the battle! She said, _'With white robes flowing in the breeze, your archrival rides toward you.'_ I'm so excited I can hardly wait!" she shouted gleefully.

It was the first time Nephenee had seen her so happy, although she wasn't really sure why she was so excited over something like that.

"Do you know... who it is?" Ilyana asked.

"No, but..." Mia trailed off. Nephenee looked over at her curiously, only to see her staring at someone walking by. She turned to see who it was, and saw the orange haired priest slowly walking by them.

Before she could turn back around, Mia was already rushing over to him.

"Him? She ain't... she ain't serious, is she?" she asked, looking over at Ilyana.

"I think... she is..." she giggled quietly.

Nephenee let out a loud sigh as she watched Mia hand the poor man a sword. After she watched them for a few minutes, it seemed as if Mia gave up, taking the sword back and walking back over to the two of them with her head hung low.

"I was so certain it was him..." she sighed, leaning against the railing once again.

"W-well... that ain't no reason to give up... r-right, Ilyana?"

"Oh... of course not. I'm sure you'll find him," she said, sporting a soft smile. Mia gave them both a grateful look before a large grin formed on her face.

"You guys are right! I can't let one little setback get to me! I'll find him for sure!" she yelled ecstatically, throwing her fist in the air.

"Y-yeah... ain't no doubt."

Mia's loud laughing continued for a few moments before a growling so loud it led her to believe that a laguz had managed to sneak up made her jump out of her skin. She turned to see Ilyana blushing fiercely and covering up her stomach.

"It seems... my appetite has returned..." she whispered.

"Well, that's certainly a step in the right direction! Go grab some food, me and Nephenee will catch up!"

Ilyana gave a slight bow in return, turning around as Mia brought an arm around Nephenee's shoulder and began pulling her down the side of the deck.

"Speaking of yesterday, I noticed you talking with that guy in brown armor... Brom, I think? Anyways, you seemed a lot different than you do right now or when you're around anyone else. I was just wondering why," she said, making Nephenee blush fiercely.

"I... uh... well..." she stammered.

"Come on, you can tell me," Mia whispered, pulling her a little closer.

_I... don't want her ta hate me, but... I don't think she's gonna drop this. Here goes nothin'..._

"It's... um... my accent," she murmured.

"Your accent? What about it?" she asked.

Nephenee hung her head even lower. "People... people won't like me... cause I'm just a country gal..." she trailed off.

"Well if that isn't the biggest load of wyvern dung I ever heard. Who in their right mind would shun you cause of something silly like that?"

"I... I don't know... I just figured all these city folks... would look down on someone like me-"

"Nephenee, no one's gonna look down on you for that, and if someone does, I'll thrash some sense into them! Now come on, we've got an archrival to find!" she shouted, pulling Nephenee with her as she rushed down the deck.

_It really... won't matter?_

She let herself be pulled along until a sudden bout of queasiness swept over her, making her push Mia away as she dashed towards the railing.

"Oh, I completely forgot! Here, let me hold your hair!" She rushed over behind her, grabbing her hair and holding it back as Nephenee gave what little was left in her stomach to the sea.

-o-

**_A/N: _**_Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read this, and if you have any feedback or concrit, please don't hesitate to share it with me._

_Also, a huge thanks to my beta, barefootbean. You are awesome. ^^_


	3. The Big City

Chapter 3: The Big City

The large hallways in the Begnion temple were certainly a sight to behold, the intricate carvings which lined a good portion of the interior no doubt painstakingly crafted by masters of their art. She had been to Begnion before, but she had never been to the apostle's temple. It was truly a wonder of craftsmanship, and one could spend hours simply walking the halls and admiring the beauty.

She had found herself doing just that a while ago without even realizing it. By the time she realized she had actually been heading somewhere, she had gotten so turned around she didn't know where she was. No servants or temple workers were in sight, so she was left to wander by herself, the halls echoing with every step she took. She turned a large corner, thinking she recognized the nearby framework, and a rush of excitement came over her as she opened the first large wooden door she came across.

The dark room she was faced with was lit by a single candle, and unlike most rooms in the temple, there wasn't a single window. Like most rooms, however, it was enormous, with gallant decorations almost everywhere one could look. At the table the candle was situated on sat a single shrouded figure, who didn't make a move, even at the new light that was now flooding in from the hallway.

"Ah, shoot, I could have sworn this was Ilyana's room. I really am lost," she sighed, running a thumb along the hilt of her blade as she walked up to the table. When she got closer, she observed the dark olive haired mage scribbling away at a large stack of papers.

"Mia," he mumbled without stopping, "as energetic as ever, I see. Please leave my room, I'm quite busy."

"Aw, come on, you're not even going to hint at what those papers are? Maybe I can help!" she shouted happily.

"I _highly_ doubt that," he muttered.

"I was just curious, no need to be such a stick in the mud," she sighed, folding her arms and leaning against the nearby wall.

"You're not going to leave, are you?" he asked a moment later.

"Just tell me which way is Ilyana's room... and what's up with those papers," she added.

"I'm documenting all of our personnel, our supply usage, reports on the battles we've fought and about ten other things as well. Orders from the apostle," he grumbled.

"Sounds boring," she joked with a smile, but that only earned her a deep sigh in reply.

"Mia, I'd really like to be alone right now so I can finish this." The fatigue was clear in his voice now, and the sudden change in his tone made her feel somewhat guilty for having teased him just moments earlier.

"Alright, but which way is it to-"

"I'm sorry, I don't know," he said, still not looking up from his work.

"Okay, sorry to bother you," she sighed.

She heard him mumble something incoherently behind her as she headed towards the door, but merely shrugged it off as she walked out of the room.

–o–

Nephenee gawked at the city before her, the sprawling buildings visible from almost all corners of the large temple they were staying in. Ever since she had arrived, she couldn't help but just be awestruck by how... big everything was. They had spent several days here already, but that hadn't seemed to wear the city's alluring quality one bit. Brom had been the same way at first, but he had gotten over it much quicker than she had. She still found herself standing in the middle of the hallway, staring out some new balcony or window which provided her what she could only describe as a painting in real life.

She turned to walk away from the balcony she was leaning against, but a conversation she overheard, originating from a nearby corner, stopped her dead in her tracks.

"_Don't you have any memory of your parents?" _a voice she instantly recognized as the commander's asked.

"_No. The woman who raised me was not my birth mother. And she wasn't all that fond of me, anyway... my earliest memories are of her saying, 'Why me? The world isn't fair!' or 'Stay away from me, child!' No love. No affection. She took care of me out of some sense of duty that she didn't really possess," _a second voice answered. It was clearly masculine, but she didn't recognize who it was.

_T-that's... terrible..._

"_When I was about four, a nearby sage came by and asked to take me in. He said I possessed rare magical talent. I remember the day clearly. My caretaker was delighted to give me up. In fact, she seemed almost delirious with pleasure. Smiling like a madwoman as she handed me over... The sage even gave her gold as compensation. Not that it was necessary."_ The voice continued his tale about the sage.

She knew it was wrong to eavesdrop like this, but somehow, she couldn't help herself. She was frozen in place, silently horrified as his tale continued.

"_Soren!" _the commander's voice boomed down the hall, snapping her out of her thoughts and making her inhale sharply.

"_Huh? Oh... I apologize, Ike. I should not have made you listen to such nonsense..."_

"_Soren, it's no nonsense! It's awful! It's the most terrible thing I've ever heard! Where did this happen? Was it here in Begnion?"_

"_No... but, there's more. I haven't told you... about my parents... no, that's enough. I'm sorry. Excuse me..." _she heard him say.

Soft footsteps, which echoed down the hall, followed his words.

"_Wait, Soren? Soren! Blast!" _she heard the commander curse.

That's when she realized the footsteps were heading towards her.

In a panic she looked behind her for something to hide behind, and that's when she felt someone bump into her from behind. She felt her whole body go stiff as she slowly turned around to see the dark olive haired mage in a slump on the ground.

"I-I'm sorry, let me help-"

"I don't need your help," he grumbled, standing up slowly.

"I-it was my fault, so just-"

"I said I don't need your help!" he yelled, making her cringe back.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap like that. I just..." he trailed off,

"N-no, it's alright... I understand..."

"You understand what?" he asked. Her eyes went wide with the realization of what she had just let slip.

"N-nothin! Nothin' at all!" she chuckled nervously, waving her hand in front of her.

"You overheard, didn't you?" he asked.

"I-I don't know what ya mean-"

"Are country bumpkins such as yourself not aware that eavesdropping is generally considered in poor taste?"

_Country... bumpkin..._

"I... I reckon you're right, and I'm sorry-"

"Sorry? You have no right to invade someone's privacy like that..." he trailed off, clenching his teeth as he gripped his arm.

"I... I'm sorry..." she muttered quietly.

"That doesn't make up for what you did. Just... just leave me alone," he whispered, walking past her.

The bustling sounds of the city, something that had been so interesting to her before, only seemed to reinforce the pain she was now feeling. She had done something terrible, and on top of that, Mia had been wrong.

She stood there as his footsteps became distant and dull, until eventually the hallway was silent. She turned towards the city once more, pulling the blue helmet situated on her head as far down as it would go.

–o–

"Ha! I finally found you! Thought you could evade me, didn't you!" Mia shouted, pointing at an unsuspecting Ilyana, who turned to give her a confused look.

"I wasn't... avoiding you..." she murmured quietly.

"Huh? You weren't?"

"No... I've been... at the dining hall. The food here... is nice..." she trailed off, sporting a small smile.

"Forget the food! We have a city to explore!"

"W-what... but I want to stay here-"

"Are you kidding? Just look at you! You look like you're about to fall over! Some fresh air will do you good!"

"I-if you insist..."

"I do! Now let's go find Nephenee!" she yelled happily, grabbing Ilyana's arm and dragging her down the corridor.

–o–

She heard the familiar clang of steel footsteps echoing in the hallway behind her, but she merely stood there as they got louder and louder. Eventually, they stopped directly behind her, and she knew who it was without even looking.

"Nephenee, that you? Shoot, what's the matter?" he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Nothin', Brom-"

"Well if that ain't a load of cow plop. Come on, I won't bite ya," he said.

She pushed her helmet down even farther, almost as if she was trying to hide her shame. "I done somethin' terrible..." she trailed off.

"What nonsense you babblin' on about, now? Just come out and say it instead of bein' all vague," he urged her.

"I... I bumped into one of those mage folks, the one who's always with the commander... Soren. I... I overheard somethin' I shouldn't have... and he got angry at me for it. I tried to apologize... but he wouldn't have none of it... it was cause of the way I talk..."

"Well, I won't try to say that eavesdroppin' like that is okay, but that bit about your accent is a bunch of hooey. I'm sure he was just upset is all... heck, the first day we joined he told me I needed to lose some weight! I wouldn't worry bout' him, I was you, just make an effort to apologize once he's had a chance to cool off and everythin' should be fine. Besides, you made friends with some of the other gals, didn't ya? That sword girl and the female mage, right? They been doin' good by you, haven't they?"

"I... I guess so..." she stammered.

"Well, ya can't let one little set back get to ya, now can ya?"

"B-but–"

"No buts, and I don't wanna hear no more of this hogwash about your accent. You and I got bout' the same accent, and I tote mine around all day; folks ain't shunnin' me cause of it. Just look at these people, Nephenee. Most of 'em accept the laguz without a second thought, so why you worried 'bout something as silly as an accent?"

"W-well.. when you put it like that... I guess you're right," she mumbled, turning around to look at him.

"Course I am! Now, as long as you have a mind to apologize to him proper later, you just put it out of yer mind for now and go find your friends. The sword girl was lookin' for ya," he said with a giant grin. She pushed her helmet up and gave him a large hug, one that reminded her so much of home.

"Thanks, Brom... I'm glad I met ya, you're like a second poppa. I don't know what I would do without ya."

"Aw, shoot, you're gonna make me blush you keep talkin' like that," he chuckled. She let go of him a moment later and rushed down the hallway, turning to give him a small wave as she ran past the corner.

–o–

"Nephenee, there you are!" Mia shouted, dragging Ilyana behind her as she caught up to her. Nephenee turned around and gave her a shy smile, but before she had a chance to say anything she was already caught in her grasp.

"Come on, we've been looking for you! We're gonna go check out the city, and you're coming, too!" she shouted.

"I... I wouldn't miss it for nothin'," she whispered, her smile growing a little wider.

"So... hungry..." Ilyana muttered behind her as Mia dragged the two of them down the large steps to the sprawling city below.

–o–

**A/N:** Thanks once again for reading, and if you have any feedback or concrit as always, don't hesitate to share it with me. The Nephenee/Brom B support and Ike/Soren B support were the backbones of this chapter, as most of you could probably tell, with slight alterations of course, haha. I'd expect a few more characters, especially those linked with Nephenee, Mia, Brom and Ilyana, to be poking their heads up soon.

And a special thanks to barefootbean once again. Thanks for putting up with me, and for all your help this chapter. ^^


	4. Welcome to the Desert

Chapter 4: Welcome to the Desert

Mia sat next to the large fire in the center of camp, a small, but warm blanket wrapped around her as she couldn't help but shiver every few moments. It was a great mystery to her how a place so scorching hot in the daytime could become so frigidly cold at night. For some reason, the fight with the laguz had taken a lot out of her. Maybe it was because of the terrain, the sun bearing down on her all day, the fierceness of the enemies they faced, or perhaps it was a little of everything. Not that she had much time to think on it, considering that whenever the desert came up, her thoughts were occupied with other things; perhaps that, too, was one of the reasons she felt so... exhausted.

The memories were different, though. Her body cried out for sleep, but her mind wouldn't let her. Whenever she closed her eyes, she couldn't stop herself from thinking about them. So she had made up her mind to stop trying. The march to Begnion tomorrow would be rough, that was for sure, but she knew once they reached the city, she would be able to sleep peacefully.

The apostle had seen fit to have them run another errand for her, not that Mia minded much. Even the glorious splendor of Begnion, a city she had only vaguely remembered from when she was a small child, had begun to wear off. As much comfort as it promised now, she knew that was only in contrast to where she was right now. Most everyone she talked to from their group was tired of the city by now, as well. Tired of the self-centered aristocrats, the boredom of the temple and the sense that they should be doing something else.

_Well, maybe that last one doesn't apply to everyone, but I certainly feel that way. Maybe that's why I don't mind all these jobs the apostle has been sending us on._

Nephenee had been acting strange since they got to the city, but she shrugged it off as nothing more than her being withdrawn because of her accent. It was difficult for her around the group, and she couldn't imagine what it must have felt like with those stuffy aristocrats everywhere. It was good to see her and Ilyana getting along, although even with all her meddling and prodding, the two barely seemed to talk unless she was there. It probably shouldn't have been a surprise, considering how shy and quiet they were.

"Mia, is that you?" a voice she instantly recognized as Ike's asked from behind her. "Why are you still up at this hour?"

"You know me, boss. It doesn't matter what time I go to bed, I'm always the first one up," she said with a smile, resisting the urge to shiver.

"Yeah, I've noticed," he sighed, sitting down next to her and extending his hands next to what was left of the fire; it might not have had a huge flame, but it was certainly hot. There were a few moments of silence as the fire in front of her glowed, reduced to almost nothing more than red hot coals by this point.

"Why are you up, boss?" Mia asked quietly.

"Can't sleep. I understand why Soren had us camp in the desert for the night, considering the distance from Begnion, and even though we've managed to find a somewhat solid grouping of rocks for the night, I can't stand all this sand. It gets everywhere despite your best efforts," he murmured, rubbing his hands together.

"Speaking of Soren, he seems a little cranky. Any idea why?" she grinned.

"I think it has to do with Begnion in general. He likes his paperwork, but the apostle has been running him up the wall with it, he can't stand the city at all, and to top it off he was already feeling rather disheartened. Hopefully once we've left Begnion he'll get back to normal."

"Well, when you put it like that, I guess it makes sense," she muttered.

"What about you? Any reason you're up this late?" Ike asked after a while.

"I don't like the desert. It brings back memories I'd rather not think about," she stated flatly, kicking the last remaining stick at her feet into the fire, a small eruption of sparks and a loud crackle following.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine. Really. I'm not sure why the fire helps me think of more pleasant things, but it does," she murmured with a small grin, staring into the glowing red embers.

"What sort of pleasant things, if you don't mind me asking?"

"My friends, mostly," she answered, shivering for a moment afterward.

"You must mean Nephenee and Ilyana, right? I've seen you three together a lot recently," he observed, leaning over and picking up a stick from nearby, tossing it in the fire.

"Yeah. At first I was drawn to Nephenee because I thought she'd make a good archrival, but the more time I spent training her and being together with her, the more I realized that she's not archrival material. She makes an excellent sparring partner, and I know it's only been a few weeks, but I feel so close to her..." she trailed off, still staring into the fire. "Ilyana I just happened to bump into. She looks so sickly and frail that I thought I should look after her. She's quiet and shy, yes, but the more time I spent with her, the more I realized she was also incredibly kind and caring. She can also hold her own in a fight, despite her looks and the fact she always stumbles around. I... whenever I'm around them it seems like I can't stop smiling, and I'm finding that I cherish the time I spend with them," she finished, watching as the final few sticks in the fire slowly burned away, collapsing into what was now nothing more than a pile of red hot embers.

"I think it's good that you've made such close friends. I also want to apologize; you're technically the newest member of the Greil Mercenaries, but I haven't really had much time to talk to you lately," Ike confided after another long silence.

"It's fine, boss. I understand."

"It's still no excuse. I'd like to spend time with you... how about we have sparring sessions in the morning?" he asked.

She felt a sudden rush of excitement at the prospect. Someone as strong as the boss being a regular sparring partner would be incredible.

"You better not hold back," she grinned.

"I wouldn't dream of it," he replied with a smile.

-o-

"Horsefeathers... it's hot..." she said through deep breaths, removing her helmet and swiping the sweat away from her brow with her sleeve. She put her helmet back on, taking a moment to adjust it before trudging on. The sand was bad enough, having to navigate it while wearing her armor and carrying her weapon, but the blasted sun was on some sort of mission to cook her alive. And it felt like it was succeeding.

_Well, I guess I shouldn't complain too much. Poor Brom looks like he's about to pass out, and the folks on the horses ain't fairin' much better, either._

They had managed to rout the enemy the apostle had sent them to take care of. She hadn't been told anything of the specifics, but it worried her how all the opponents seemed to be laguz. Not to mention that she somehow felt like something was wrong with the whole situation. She hadn't spoken to the fire mage or the green tiger laguz they had brought with them, but she knew something was amiss. A shadow enveloped her for a split second, disappearing as soon as it had appeared, and she looked up to see the young Daein wyvern rider flying towards the front of the group. She sighed heavily, wiping her brow, which had managed to accumulate a gross amount of sweat in a short time, once more.

"Are you... alright?" a weak voice asked from behind her.

"I'm fine, Ilyana," she responded. "I should be worried about you. How are ya doin' in this heat?" she asked. She didn't need to turn around, as Ilyana had already managed to catch up with her and was walking beside her. One of the benefits of being a mage was not having to wear heavy armor, after all.

"Oh, I'm fine," Ilyana whispered, giving her a small smile. "A bit hungry, though..." she trailed off, rubbing her belly. "I can't believe... I dropped it," she added under her breath.

"You were somethin' else yesterday, I tell ya. The sand didn't seem to bother ya none, and your magic was as strong as it ever was," she said, giving Ilyana the best smile she could manage under the circumstances.

"Really? I'm glad... that I could be of some help. Although... I didn't enjoy having to harm... those poor laguz," she added, looking down at the sand.

"To be honest, I agree with ya. Somethin' felt wrong about that battle, but I'm sure the commander will fill us in when we get back to the city."

"You're right... commander Ike is a kind person."

"Aye... that he is," Nephenee replied.

"Hey guys, wait up!" Mia's voice called from behind them. It took Nephenee a moment to realize that they had managed to work their way near the front of the group, leaving those mounted on horseback and several of the more heavily armored units, including Brom, a few yards behind. Mia rushed up to them, seemingly struggling in the sand almost as much as Nephenee had, before giving the both of them a huge smile.

"It's great to see you two getting along!" she beamed ecstatically, wrapping an arm around each of them as they continued walking.

It took a moment for Nephenee to realize the truth of what Mia said. She hadn't thought of her accent for even a moment with she was with her, and she felt a certain comfort when Ilyana was around. A comfort she had felt with Mia, as well. She didn't even realize the small smile she was wearing until she glanced over at Ilyana, who was sporting one of her own. Despite the short amount of time she had known the two of them, they had already been through several battles together, and she felt a strong connection with the both of them. No matter the situation, or how bad a day she was having, she always found herself smiling when she was with the two of them; it was like her problems had just melted away. She never thought about her accent, the longing she had for Ohma, and even the war itself seemed to get lost when she was with them.

Growing up, the only people she had really spent time with was her family and Brom's family. Even though the latter wasn't related to her, she still always felt like she was a part of their family. With Mia and Ilyana, it was a similar feeling, although different, somehow. She thought she knew what it was... friendship.

"Hey, what are you thinking about, getting so quiet on us?" Mia asked, laughing loudly as she tapped her helmet a few times.

"N-nothin'," she stuttered, finding herself blushing. Ilyana giggled quietly as Mia continued to poke her helmet, Nephenee trying in futility to shoo her hand away.

"Excuse me, but I think you dropped this," a man with shoulder length silver-blue hair said, approaching Ilyana. He was wearing a killing blade, sheathed at his side, and appeared to be a myrmidon by the looks of it. He extended a brown pouch, and Ilyana cocked her head to the side as she took it.

"Oh!" she exclaimed a moment later, giving the man a bow. "Thank you... very much. I thought I'd lost it..." she trailed off.

"Yeah, well... just try to be a bit more careful. Ladies," he said, nodding slightly at them before jogging ahead. Nephenee glanced over at Ilyana, who was blushing slightly, staring at the man as he got farther ahead.

"That guy was... Zihark, right? What's in the pouch?" Mia asked. Ilyana broke eye contact with the man's back a moment after Mia asked her question, clutching the pouch close to her, almost as if it was the most precious possession in the world.

"Food," she answered simply, taking out a small chuck of bread from the pouch, eating it so quickly Nephenee had to question if it was ever truly there to begin with.

-o-

**A/N: **I do apologize for the delay in this chapter. A lot of things happened that prevented me from writing it, although I'll spare all of you the boring details. This story is a ton of fun to write, and continues to be every time I sit down to write it. I guess that just stems from me loving the characters I'm writing about so much.

As a sort of side note, as some of you may or may not know, I'm participating in the secret santa fic exchange this year. Because of this, I intend to dedicate all my time to this secret santa fic before I write anything else. The fic I'll be writing is completely out of my comfort zone, so I want to devote enough time and attention to make sure the person I'm writing for receives a good fic.

Thank you for reading, and if you have any feedback or concrit, please don't hesitate to share it with me.

And, as always, a huge thanks to my beta, barefootbean, for her invaluable help this chapter. I really can't express in words how grateful I am to have your help. ^^


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